Casa Nuestra Merlot, Napa 2000
Price $38
Rating 93
This beautiful red wine boasts rich, concentrated aromas of plum and earthy
leather, then a concentrated array of dark luscious fruit flavors within the
long, velvet-like length. "Grown right here in front of our winery in St.
Helena, this is only our second vintage since planting it in 1991," explains
spokesperson Gene Kirkham. "This merlot is wonderfully rich and full-bodied,
boasting abundant black current, plum and other rich dark fruit flavors. It
has a velvety mouth feel with hints of walnut and vanilla on the lingering
finish. This wine is well balanced and structured ideally for aging." He
suggests marinated pork tenderloin or French onion soup as a food pairing
for this wine.

Casa Nuestra (meaning “Our House”) has a small but very high quality
production of 1,500 cases of wine annually since its establishment by the
Kirkham family. Gene Kirkham (a.k.a. "the Happy Farmer"), continues to
oversee the Kirkham family's operations, now in their 26th year. Long time
friend and collaborator, Allen Price is the winemaker. As their production
is small, go to the website, www.casanuestra.com, for help in finding a
bottle or two.

Grgich Hills Merlot, Napa 2000
Price $38
Rating 92
This is Grgich Hills second release of their well received merlot. This red
is concentrated and complex. There are aromas of red fruit, cedar and spice,
then flavors of plum, fresh herbs and interesting cocoa. The length of the
flavors is long and pleasing. "Try serving this wine with a grilled steak,
roast loin of pork with a red berry wine reduction sauce, lamb, eggplant
Parmesan, duck confit, or even a wild mushroom risotto," observes Jeramaz.
For more information, visit www.grgich.com.

Canoe Ridge Vineyard Merlot, Columbia Valley 2001
Price $20
Rating 90
A full-flavored merlot, rounded and velvety, with interesting notes of red
fruit dusted lightly with cocoa powder. The winery suggests pairing this
wine with grilled meats and vegetables, such as grilled lamb with rosemary,
or even meaty fish like grilled swordfish with garlic mashed potatoes. They
also suggest ripe Brie or Camembert with the well balanced merlot. To learn more, visit www.canoeridgevineyard.com

Carmenet Merlot, Sonoma 2001
Price $20
Rating 87
A sip reveals plummy red fruit with nice, almost zesty, spice and pepper.
"With this wine, my focus was the merlot's rich fruit characteristics,
highlighted rather than masked by oak," proclaims winemaker Ron Goss. "This
wine is a nice match for a variety of dishes ranging from meaty salmon
dressed in dill to succulent barbecued ribs or hearty pasta." For more
information, go to www.carmenetwinery.com.

Sagelands Vineyards "Four Corners" Merlot, Columbia Valley 2001 Price $12 Rating 86 The Sagelands Vineyards red wines have been past favorites of mine, packed
with jammy, complex fruit and attitude, a great value at the price. This
bottle is diluted and very simple, and refused to open up 24-hours later. I
suspect "bottle shock" during shipping may be the problem, as they track
record for Sagelands is to the contrary.